Art Critics' Choice ... Mirko Rajnar

Mirko Rajnar, one of the best-known contemporary painters in the Prekmurje region, started out on his painting career in the 1980s. First concentrating on expressive figuration, his work was marked by dark hues, rough textures and sombre moods. At the turn of the millennium, however, he moved on to lyrical abstraction, where colour and light play a key role. Since then, utilizing his distinctive technique of colour layering and subtle light effects, Rajnar’s painting has been conveying a compelling visual experience. In his works, nature emerges as a vehicle for evoking mood, never as a subject for imitation or narrative. As superb visual haikus, the powerful appeal of Rajnar's canvases lies in their Zen-like simplicity. In an era of visual noise, they provide a space of retreat and spiritual exploration.